Force cup



June 4, 1940. A; WAL S 2,203,185

FORCE CUP I Filed July 24, 1939 TTTTTTT YS Patented June 4, 1940 UNITEDSTATES ATENT OFFICE FORGE CUP Andrew Walus, Brooklyn, N. Y. ApplicationJuly 24, 1939, Serial No. 286,277

2 Claims.

My invention relates to the elimination of obstructions in plumbingsystems, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of animproved force cup.

The conventional force cups employed in. removing obstructions fromplumbing installations in the nature of closet bowls, sink pipes and thelike comprise a rubber cup provided with a handle for manipulation ofthe cup. The cleaning action is consummated through repeated collapsingof the cup. While the conventional cups collapse easily, the cups as arule do not immediately spring back to their original contour. Frequent-1y, it is necessary to exert a considerable pull on the handle forbringing the cup back to normal. This feature not only entailsadditional time and effort but it frequently happens that the pullexerted is of such force as to violently jerk the cup. from its seatwith consequent spilling of water or other cleaning liquid. To performthe work efficiently, the cup must return to normal contour of its ownaccord, and the cup must remain in a predetermined position duringmanipulation thereof.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide a force cupembodying novel means for immediately bringing the cup back to itsnormal position of its own accord after being collapsed, wherein saidmeans are so constructed and arranged as to provide a cup which yieldseasily to pressure forces applied thereto. More specifically, the cupembodies a contour conforming generally to conventional cups wherein Iprovide a plurality of radial ribs molded integrally with the cup incombination with segmental ribs formed integrally with the cup butlocated in parallelism with its seating face. The segmental ribs havetheir ends terminating in closely spaced relation with the radial ribs,but are of such length as to provide a substantially unbrokenreinforcing circle located in the plane of maximum fiexure of the cupfor urging the cup wall back to normal contour.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 2.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, the cup Inincludes the usual cupshaped body l2 terminating in a centrally locatedneck l4 provided with a threaded opening l6 for connection with thethreaded end l8 of a handle 20. The seating face 22 is flat and iswidened through the medium of the laterally extending bead 24. The cupis molded of rubber such as is employed in conventional force cups.

Fig. 2 illustrates the inner farce 26 of the cup 5 as being providedwith a plurality of radial ribs 28, which ribs are of equal length-andterminate short of the axis of the cup. Fig. 1 illustrates the ribs 28as being considerably thicker intermediate their ends, with the end runsas decreasing in thickness toward their ends. The lower ends of the ribsfade into the wall of the cup slightly above the seating face 22. Theupper ends of the ribs also fade into the wall of the cup. The ribs areequally spaced and integrally molded with the cup body I2.

Segmental ribs 30 are integrally molded with the cup body I2 and projectinwardly from its face 26. These ribs are arranged in. parallelism withthe seating face 22, and the ends of the ribs terminate in closelyspaced relation with the radial ribs 28, as indicated at 32. At the sametime, the ends 34 of the ribs converge downwardly from their associatedradial ribs 28, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Segmental ribs 30 are locatedin a plane substantially midway between the seating face 22 and the toparea 36 of the inner face 26, so as to lie in the plane of the greatestflexing of the cup body l2.

In operation, the force cup is manipulated in the usual manner. The cupflexes easily for 001- lapsing purposes but the ribs 28 and thesegmental ribs 30 constitute resilient reinforcing means which areeffective in springing the cup back to its normal contour so that thecup may be repeatedly collapsed without the necessity of exerting a pullon the handle 20. Angular faces 34 of the segmental ribs 30 terminate inspaced relation with the radial ribs 28 so as not to impair thecollapsing flexibility of the cup. However, segmental ribs 30substantially define a rib of closed circular formation so as to beeffective throughout the entire circumference of the cup body. Radialribs 28 embody increased thickness intermediate their ends so as toadditionally reinforce the cup body in the area of greatest flexing. Atthe same time, the ends of the radial ribs fade into the cup body I2 soas to decrease their stiffness throughout the areas of the cup bodyembodying more thickness than the intermediate area of greatest flexing.The two systems of ribs operate to immediately spring the cup back toits normal contour so that the force cup may be repeatedly and rapidlycollapsed for effectively removing obstructions from the plumbingfixture.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate myinvention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adaptthe same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A force cup comprising a collapsible cup body provided with anoperating handle, said cup body having a seating face, radial rib meansformed integrally with cup body on its inner face, and segmental ribsformed integrally with the cup body on its inner face, said segmentalribs having their ends spaced from the radial rib means and beinglocated in parallelism with said seating face.

2. In a force cup, a collapsible cup body, said cup body having aseating face, radial ribs formed integrally with cup body on its innerface, and segmental ribs formed integrally with the cup body on itsinner face, said segmental ribs having their ends spaced from the radialribs and being located in parallelism with the seating face in the planeof greatest flexure of the cup body.

ANDREW WALUS.

